Alabama A&M has hired Donte’ Jackson as the program’s next head basketball coach, it was announced on Thursday at an on-campus press conference.
Jackson spent the last eight seasons at Grambling State, compiling a 129–122 overall record and an 88–53 record in SWAC play.
His stint at Grambling State was highlighted by an appearance in the 2024 NCAA tournament, where his Tigers pulled off an 88-81 overtime win over Montana State in the First Four before falling to No. 1-seeded Purdue in the first round.
The former Grambling State coach takes over for Otis Hughley Jr., who resigned in March after three seasons as the program’s head coach; Alabama A&M went 10-22 last season.
Jackson credited the move with a desire for a change of scenery for himself and his family, with director of athletics Dr. Paul A. Bryant reaching out to gauge his interest and encourage him to complete the application process.
Bryant also hired Jackson when he was director of athletics at Grambling State and Stillman College.
“My goal is to win basketball games and graduate student athletes,” Jackson said. “I always save graduate student athletes for last, because that’s the most important reason I’m here. We’re at a college, we want to make sure our guys are doing the right things, matriculating in the classroom and graduating, but we want to compete with championships every year.”
The Tigers also accepted a postseason invitation in the 2018-2019 season, where it fell to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
Jackson claimed his first SWAC coach of the year honors in 2018 after leading the program to a regular-season league title before claiming the award in 2023 and 2024.
He said familiarity in the conference certainly helped the move, as Jackson had previously turned down other opportunities in the past to stay in the SWAC.
“It’s not like you’re learning a new league,” the coach said. “I’m coming into this situation already knowing coaches, knowing certain things, tendencies from coaches. It’s not a tough transition as it would have been if I went to another league.”
This marks Jackson’s second stint in the state of Alabama, spending three seasons at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa from 2014–2017. He helped lead the Tigers to a SIAC tournament title and a second-round appearance in the Division II tournament.
The Milwaukee, Wisc., native also spent four seasons as head coach of his alma mater Central State University, where his teams compiled a 68-42 record and three Independent Conference Association regular-season titles. He transferred to CSU from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he played one season of Division I basketball.
Bryant said that there were around 83 applicants for the job, with experience from those ranging from running scouting programs all the way to coaches who had experience in the NBA.
“I was very impressed. I said, ‘We’re doing something right to have that type of interest here on the Hill,‘” he said. “I attribute that, honestly, I attribute it to our president. Our president, his vision, and what he’s trying to instill is second to none.”
Bryant said that he and the group were set on making a hire that would help Alabama A&M match the success of the women’s team, who made an appearance in the WNIT, and the rest of the state’s Division I men’s teams.
“I wanted to make sure that our men got a coach that have experienced it and have experienced it at the NCAA level,” Bryant said. “He won a game last year at the NCAA tournament. Those are the type of coaches that I want. They beat us too, and so I wanted to make sure we got somebody who could actually win, win in the classroom and win on court.”
Jackson said that especially with his ties to Tuscaloosa at Stillman College, he was excited to be a part of some incredible Division I men’s basketball success like the state saw this season from almost all of its teams.
“The good thing is, I’ve been here three years prior,” he said. “I’ve had a stop here three years prior at Stillman college. Being able to recruit and go back to some of your networks that you already had is incredible. We’ve recruited some of the best players from out of this state, and I’m excited to have two of my players came from right up the road at Lee. Now, you get to go back and see it, do it all over again.”